Principal Findings:

The average age was 49 years, BMI 24 kg/m2, 90% were male, 72% had a cholesterol >200 mg/dl, 35% had hypertension, 20% diabetes, and nearly 50% smoked. Regular ASA was used in 55% and a statin in 6%. Nearly 60% had CAD and 35% had a MI <4 weeks prior to the study. Mean LDL-C was 140 mg/dl and HDL-C 44 mg/dl. About 65% of each group was vegetarian at baseline and consumed milk, butter, clarified butter, and trans fatty acids. At 2 years the Indo-Med diet group averaged 2,015 calories of which 60% were carbohydrates, 14% protein, and 26% fat of which 10% was MUFA’s and 2% n-3 fatty acids. The control group did not change their caloric distribution from baseline and differed significantly from the Indo-Med diet for each nutrient variable. The Indo-Med diet was associated with more weight loss, a decrease in waist to hip ratio, lower blood pressure, and a greater improvement in lipids and blood sugar, but less smoking cessation. The Indo-Med diet was associated with a decrease in fatal and non-fatal MI’s and sudden cardiac death, less CV events (10 vs 19%, p<0.0001), significantly less heart failure, angina, and CABG or PCI’s, fewer positive stress tests, less LVH and strain on ECG, and a borderline decrease in total deaths (5% vs 8%, p 0.06).